Zairil: Politicising PSI project desperate attempt by Gerakan to distract from PN’s failures

Published by New Straits Times• 24/05/2021• 05:33 pm

According to state Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, the fact remains that the original EMP was delivered to the DOE on Jan 6. – NSTP/MIKAIL ONG.

GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong’s latest statement is a desperate attempt to politicise the Penang South Islands (PSI) project to divert attention away from Perikatan Nasional’s failure to manage the Covid-19 crisis.

In a statement yesterday, Oh had alleged that the Penang government “lied” about the submission of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the reclamation works, which the Department of Environment (DOE) claims not to have received.

According to state Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, the fact remains that the original EMP was delivered to the DOE on Jan 6.

“Having not received any response from the DOE, the application was withdrawn on May 7 for further fine-tuning to ensure compliance to the proposed mitigation measures and environmental offset programmes of the PSI.

“The revised EMP is expected to be delivered to DOE in June 2021, hence, that is why the statement by the DOE on May 20 stated that the EMP had not been submitted.

“The Penang government is fully committed to ensuring the PSI is designed to adhere to ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards that are required by the leading global multinational corporations,” he said today.

This, said Zairil, would make the PSI a green and sustainable development, which would attract foreign and domestic investments to generate jobs and inject capital into the Penang economy.

He added that such a catalytic project was necessary now more than ever as a recovery driver to reboot the economy, especially in the post-Covid-19 environment.

“The present engagement between the Penang government and the DOE is a professional matter and not a political issue.

“Gerakan’s attempt to politicise the discussion revealed their desperation amidst the clear failings of the federal government to control the pandemic and vaccinate the population,” he added.

Yesterday, Oh slammed the Penang Pakatan Harapan government for having alleged that the Environment Ministry may approve the PSI project at the end of May.

This came after Penang Infrastructure Corporation (PIC) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said a few days ago that the Penang government was waiting for the ministry to approve the EMP to start the reclamation works.

Oh had also pointed out that Farizan’s claim that the ministry would make a decision on EMP at the end of May was a lie because the ministry had instructed the developers to submit a new EMP.